Scam Alert: Do Not Call Scam

SCAM ALERT

(Phoenix, AZ—July 17, 2003) Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard is warning Arizona residents of a recent scam in which unscrupulous people are calling consumers registered on the national do-notcall list claiming to represent the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and asking them for their financial information.

After registering on the do-not-call list website, some consumers have been called by a person claiming to represent the Arizona Attorney General’s Office and the “Arizona FTC”. After rattling off a phony name, badge number and company, the caller instructs consumers to state their name, address and phone number to verify their personal information before they can receive a ‘special security code.’ They claim this code will allow consumers to sue any telemarketer for up to $11,000.

After obtaining the consumer’s personal information the caller asks for the name and routing code of the consumer’s bank, saying it is needed before they can release their security code.

“No one from the Attorney General’s Office is calling consumers about the Do Not Call List,” said Goddard, “and there is no such thing as the Arizona Federal Trade Commission.”

Goddard warned consumers to “never give out your personal information to anyone over the phone unless you have initiated the call and know the company with whom you are dealing.”

Consumers who are contacted by one of these fraudulent telemarketers should get as much information as possible, including a call back number, and then contact the Arizona Attorney General’s Office or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

The FTC will handle all complaints about telemarketers calling people on the registry. Consumers can report a complaint on the FTC website at http://www.ftc.gov/donotcall. The Attorney General’s Office handles general consumer fraud complaints on their Consumer Information and Complaints line, 1-800-352-8431 outside of the area or (602) 542-5763 locally.